Work cancelled today. Leak in tank 58. We thought it was empty.
Turns out hundreds of transparent fish had made fools of us with invisible eggs and a hatching season with a quick turnaround. Their fins were shaper than broken glass. Down went the filtration system, and a torrent of water seeped through the walls of the Stitch. Near to where the solar panels connect to.
Beyond my level. When the electricity goes emergency staff take over the site. Just in case the Stitch rips open, and whales with tentacles pour from the air.
Mr Chansom was on his way down too. When l departed Link paced up and down in a pair of rubber boots, and Nate was fetching extra buckets on repeal. Glad I grabbed today’s clip from the Butter Mouse before the power went out.
Spent the day looking through all the old clips. Fertilizer vans sped past the window. With a plate of mochi and a cool breeze outside, repeated viewings soon provided new details. Symbols on the buildings matching with others on different sections. The tree line from the mountain transport resembling those near the town. Although the sound was out of whack, if put in the correct order, they synch up. I am sure this place exists out there somewhere. This is too coherent for a dream.
The constant repetition lead to something strange happening. Whenever the Butter Mouse’s call appears on the soundtrack, I got flashes of photos in my mind. Not random thoughts, but like someone had inserted an image somewhere behind my eyes. A tower full of windows in the sunlight. People holding hands on a beach. Bottles of fizzy drinks in a bucket full of ice. All consistent, and vivid. The beach goers both wore red swimming costumes.
Made me think about all the visions of the guests, and what we find on their recordings. Are these images real too, or printed from our imagination? Does the Butter Mouse’s call make those specific thoughts appear, or is my brain interpreting alien noise? Or is it all psychosomatic? Or views of even further dimensions?
And should I be worried? Is this inter-dimensional poison?
Mum knocked on the door. I guess the screeching and the howling of the clips bled through. She grasped half a robot toucan in her left hand.
‘I don’t think I’ve watched anything as much as you’ve watched that.’
'Puzzle solving requires endurance.'
'Did you think there may not even be a puzzle to see? Maybe it's just electronic signals forced though the machine. Maybe she sees something completely different, or this is a natural tool. Echolocation maybe.’
‘She sees the world through the images of a giant squid?’
‘Maybe. Either way, can you keep your headphones in though?'
Thoughts like that make my head hurt. Mum likes to break stuff down, and find a solution. I put my headphones in.
Took a break when Deni messaged me a picture of someone eating. Asking if I wanted to get some food, even though eating was impossible for them. Decided to go. Not sure why I brushed my hair twice before leaving. Another Butter Mouse symptom maybe?
Clip: A longer clip than usual, and a beautiful call. All those houses. How many dimensions away is this world?